Ochieng sat in the dimly lit penthouse, the note still in his hands. "We know it's you. Run while you still can."
A lesser man might have panicked. But Ochieng wasn't just anyone.
His phone buzzed. Natasha.
"They just wiped out an entire safehouse," she said, skipping the pleasantries. "Four of our informants are dead. They're retaliating hard."
Ochieng exhaled slowly. He expected backlash—but not this fast.
"Where's their next move?" he asked.
"We don't know yet, but word is, they've called in someone special. The Phantom."
A chill ran through Abasi, who had been silently listening. "You're joking, right?"
Natasha's voice was grim. "I wish I was."
Ochieng leaned forward. The Phantom. A name whispered in fear. A legend in the underworld.
A man with no face, no past, and a kill record longer than anyone's nightmares.
White Lotus wasn't playing anymore. They wanted him dead.
--
A few hours later, Ochieng was in his underground hideout when a soft knock echoed through the hallway.
His hand instinctively went to his gun. Only three people knew this location. None of them knocked.
He signaled Abasi, who moved to the side, weapon drawn. Ochieng slowly opened the door.
A woman stood there.
Long black hair, deep blue eyes, and a beauty that could make men lose their sanity. But her presence radiated something else—danger.
She smiled. "Aren't you going to invite me in?"
Ochieng didn't lower his weapon. "Depends. Who sent you?"
She stepped forward, her gaze unwavering. "No one. I came on my own."
"Lies," Abasi muttered.
She smirked. "Fine. White Lotus sent me. But I'm not here to kill you."
Ochieng raised an eyebrow. "Then why are you here?"
She leaned in slightly, her voice barely above a whisper. "Because I know their secrets. And I want out."
Silence.
Ochieng studied her carefully. She wasn't lying. But that didn't mean she could be trusted.
"Give me one reason I shouldn't kill you right now."
She met his gaze without fear. "Because I know where The Phantom is. And he's already in the city."
---
Ochieng didn't show it, but his grip on the gun tightened. If The Phantom was already in the city, then things were worse than he thought.
Abasi shot him a glance. "She's bluffing."
The woman smiled. "Am I?"
She reached into her coat, and both men raised their weapons instantly.
"Relax," she said, pulling out a sleek black phone. "Check the latest security footage from the Sapphire Club."
Ochieng took the phone and pressed play. The screen flickered to life, showing grainy footage of a crowded nightclub. The camera zoomed in on a single figure, dressed in black, a hood covering his face. He moved through the room like a shadow, unseen yet felt.
Then, in a single movement, he snapped a guard's neck and disappeared into the crowd.
The Phantom had arrived.
Ochieng handed the phone back. "Who are you?"
The woman hesitated, then said, "Sienna Kazuo."
The air in the room shifted.
Abasi tensed. Ochieng's expression darkened.
"Kazuo?" he repeated slowly.
"As in Adrian Kazuo?" Abasi added.
She nodded. "He's my father."
Ochieng cursed under his breath. The name 'Adrian Kazuo' had been buried for a reason.
And now, the past had come back to haunt them.
---
Ochieng tapped his fingers on the table. Time was running out.
The Phantom was here.
The White Lotus was on edge.
And now, he had an informant from the inside.
"You've got five minutes," Ochieng finally said. "Tell me everything."
Sienna took a deep breath.
"My father was The Phantom's mentor. He trained him, raised him like his own son. But The Phantom betrayed him."
She looked away. "My father is dead because of him."
Ochieng exchanged a glance with Abasi. If she was telling the truth, this changed everything.
"The Phantom isn't just here to kill you," Sienna continued. "He's here to finish what he started."
"And what exactly is that?" Ochieng asked.
She looked him in the eyes.
"The complete annihilation of the White Lotus."
A heavy silence fell over the room.
Ochieng leaned back, considering his next move.
"So, you're saying he's on our side?" Abasi asked.
Sienna shook her head. "No. He's on his own side. And he'll kill anyone who gets in his way."
Ochieng smirked. This just got interesting.
"We need to find him before he finds us," he said, standing up.
Sienna's expression remained unreadable. "I can help. But you need to trust me."
Ochieng chuckled. "Trust is earned, not given."
She leaned closer. "Then let me earn it."
He stared at her for a moment before nodding.
"Fine," he said. "But if you betray me—"
"You won't live long enough to regret it," she finished for him, smirking.
Ochieng grinned. He liked her already.
---
With a new player on the board, Ochieng knew he had to act fast.
If The Phantom was here, the entire underworld would soon be in chaos.
But there was one thing he was certain of.
This wasn't just a game anymore. It was war.
And in war, only the strongest survived.
---